In Memory of Peng Wan-ru

Mrs. Peng Wan-Ru, a long-time activist in Taiwan's feminist movement and the
director of the Women's Division of the Democratic Progressive Party, was raped
then killed on December 1st. This killing was not only a despicable crime but
also a cruel reminder that violence against women is very much a living issue in
Taiwan.

Peng's death is a heartbreaking loss; the pain, sorrows, and anger of
losing her to such a ruthless crime are widely shared. As fellow believers in
gender equality and social justice, we feel compelled not to let her death
become a mere addition to Taiwan's crime statistics. She should not die in vain,
and the beliefs to which she had committed her life shall live on. Peng was
known to be a fighter.

In memory of her untimely death and her efforts in advancing women's right
in Taiwan, we propose the establishment of the Women's Right Day on the last
Sunday of every November. It was on the last Sunday of this past November she
was last seen alive, and she spent the whole day making a better future for
women in Taiwan. The Women's Right Day will be a day not only for remembering
her and all the female victims of violence, but a day to show solidarity in the
fight for social, political, and legal reforms to achieve gender equality in
Taiwan.

The memorial service for Peng Wan-Ru will be held in late December. We plan
to present this proposal and the name list of the supporters to her family and
various organizations in the women's movement on December 20th. If you support
our proposal, please sign in the following web site:
http://www.taiwanese.com/peng. If
you cannot get access to the Web, you can e-mail your name to any of us. If you
have friends who want to sign but do not have access to the internet, please
sign for him or her. We urge you to sign by 11:30PM, December 19th, so we can
have the final count of the signatures.